Demirel tells the story “I became Prime Minister at the age of 39. The main opposition leader was İnönü. I swear. My knees would shake when I would go to meet him. I am just Çoban Sülü. He was the commander of the Western Front, the Second Man of the Republic...”
Here is another anecdote from me...
Süleyman Demirel, who became prime minister by receiving 50% of the votes in the elections, runs into İsmet İnönü in the parliament building on the first day of the parliament.
İnönü asks;
- Do you know how many stairs the parliament has, Süleyman?
Demirel says,
- I don’t know!..
Demirel, who left an unexpected question unanswered, was inwardly upset.
A few days later, Demirel went to İnönü again in the parliament and leaned into his ear and
said; "Sir, the parliament has 220 stairs!"
- Who did you have counted them? İnönü asks.
Demirel:
- I personally counted them, sir!
And thereupon he heard a historical saying from İnönü;
"Look Süleyman, a leader is the one who deals with difficult tasks.
A leader does not do the simple tasks himself.
For example, I did not know how many stairs the parliament has.
I had you count them..."